A Cloud of Worry
by The-Curtain-Will-Fall
Summary: Cloud is a loner with anxiety issues. As people all around him start to leave him, so does his sanity.
1. Family

p style="text-align: center;"Berry gave a final push as the last kit popped out. Her mate, Parker, was looking at the kits with pride, his chest puffed out. She looked down at her kits as well. They were beautiful. The three kits- two she-cats and a tom- had pelts that seemed to be a mixture of herself and Parker's. The two she-cats seemed to have more their father's fully ginger fur, with a few white spots here and there. However, the tom seemed to look exactly like Berry. Berry had a timberwolf grey pelt with spots the color of flint. Although the tom seemed to have a lighter shade of grey, they seemed to look quite similar. The queen purred as her kits began snuggling up to her, wriggling and mewling. "They're all healthy," Parker meowed, touching the tip of one of the she-cat's noses with his tail. "What will we name them?" Berry mewed back in reply, still looking back at her kittens with a loving look in her hazel eyes. "We should decide after they're healthy enough to stand." The tom next to her replied. Berry looked around the dark alley surrounding them. She didn't know why he picked such a dark place for their future home, but at least it was safe from twolegs. Although Parker used to be a kittypet, he had grown to despise them after suffering maltreatment from his owner's kits. Berry had been a bit smaller when she met him outside of his twoleg's house, but she still knew at that moment that something would spark between the two. The grey she-cat snapped back to reality as she felt something being drained from her. Berry looked down to see her kits suckling at her tits. She licked them encouragingly and continued purring. Parker leaned down to aid in licking the kits with his raspy tongue. "I'll be right back," Parker meowed. "I'm just going to go catch something for you and the little rascals," He scampered off, leaving Berry in a dark alley, all alone. He never came back./p

p style="text-align: center;""Mama!" Cloud called. "Leaf and Rose are running away again!" Mama got up and began caterwauling for her kits to return. "Leaf, Rose, come back here! You know you're not supposed to get out of the alley!" Cloud sat down with satisfaction as he saw his siblings whine and cry. They should follow the rules. If they didn't, then Mama would get them. He didn't see why they wanted to be warriors- they had never even seen one. Cloud loved them, but sometimes Leaf and Rose were ridiculous. Leaf likes to make the plans and Rose just tags along. He didn't see why Rose couldn't stay with him. It was nice just staying in the alley. He was lonely when Mama went out to catch prey for herself. Whenever Mama left, Leaf and Rose were always up to their old antics. It was getting tiring. Mama told him that they were like this ever since they were old enough to walk. Mama also told him that he always listened to her and that he was a good tom. He broke his train of thought to see Mama still scolding Leaf and Rose. One time, Leaf and Rose invited him to join on their escape plans. "C'mon, Cloud," Leaf beckoned. "It's boring back there with Mama. Why don't you just come with us?" "Yeah," Rose added. Cloud had shook his head and turned away. Then, he told Mama. Cloud felt happy where he was at the moment- Mama depended on him to look after his sisters. After all, he was the only tom. Cloud didn't know where their father was, but he didn't really care. He had never seen him before. If their father had left them, that means he didn't love them. When Mama talked about their father, she always used unkind words. "He was a thief," she'd complain. "He stole my heart and left at the moment of your birth." When she talked about their father, Mama always curled up and slept alone. Cloud would go on top of her and sleep in an attempt to give her warmth. Mama never argued with it. He turned to see Leaf and Rose returning to the back of the alley with a glum look on their faces. "Why don't you just stay here?" Cloud remarked. "It's boring. I hate it." Leaf replied, her claws unsheathed. "I want to leave this place. It's always the same routine. I want a life of adventure." Rose nodded. "It's not safe out there," Cloud's eyes narrowed. "You won't like it." "Oh yes, I will like it." Leaf snapped at him. "We'll leave when you're sleeping. We're sick of all of this." Cloud didn't know it then, but they did./p


	2. Mama

**Hey guys! Just want to say thanks for keeping up with this story! Feedback is appreciated! :)**

 **Sorry the chapters are kinda short. I'm still new to this! I'll try to make the next chapter have at least 800 words.**

Cloud snuggled up to Mama, staring up at the night sky, listening to her delicate breathing.

He had to keep her warm. He was the only person she had left.

After Leaf and Rose left, Mama started acting differently. Cloud knew that he had to make sure she wasn't alone.

He didn't want to be alone either.

He knew what being alone felt like.

When he was alone, he couldn't think about anything except for his fate.

What if he was alone forever?

When was Mama coming back?

What if something happened to her?

What if something happened to him?

He quietly sighed as he drifted into sleep, crickets echoing in the distance.

Cloud blinked as a forest setting appeared around him.

"You're not meant to be in that alley," a smooth voice spoke.

"You're meant to be out in the wild."

Cloud turned around to see a charcoal-black tom behind him. The anonymous cat's tail was moving in a somewhat hypnotic fashion. The tom's bright blue eyes were narrowed.

Cloud felt a chill go down his spine, causing his fur to prick up.

He simply stared at the cat in front of him. "I like it with Mama," he responded. "I don't want to go out there."

"You won't like it. She'll turn on you. I know. If you don't listen to me, you'll be left alone." The cat's voice seemed to turn to ice the more he spoke.

"That won't happen!" Cloud snapped, his claws unsheathed.

Cloud felt provoked.

"You can see for yourself." The anonymous tom trotted off, his tail beckoning Cloud to follow.

Cloud did so.

As they walked, he looked around the area. He had never seen this place before, so how was he dreaming it?

Cloud looked around, eyes glittering with curiosity at his surroundings.

The area seemed to be a twolegplace, but a nice one at that. The sun was shining beautifully. Scents of prey wafted towards Cloud, causing his mouth to water slightly.

"Look ahead of you." The dark tom spoke.

Ahead of the duo was Mama, climbing over a fence hastily.

"That can't be her," Cloud murmured.

"Mama!" He called out.

No response.

"She can't hear you." The dark-black tom spoke.

"This can't be. It just can't." Cloud whimpered.

Suddenly, a voice whispered a frightening message into his ear, causing his fur to prick with fear.

 _When the moon is high and belief is low, loved ones will leave the cloud behind._

Cloud woke up to the sun shining brightly above him, a bird's song coming from nearby.

He slowly got up, limbs feeling achy for some unknown reason.

When he got up, he saw nobody next to him.

Waves of anxiety and panic flew through Cloud as he thought about last night's dream.

 _It must've been real,_ Cloud thought. _Mama must hate me._

 _She didn't love me._

 _She never did._

 _She had enough of me._

 _Why?_

 _Why?_

 _Why?_

Thoughts raced in and out of Cloud's head as he began trembling, his heart racing.

 _What if she didn't leave me?_

 _What if she got killed?_

 _What if I'm next?_


End file.
